INSIDER
Finau, Pendrith share lead at 64 at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Read full article: Finau, Pendrith share lead at 64 at Rocket Mortgage ClassicTony Finau, coming off his third career victory on the PGA Tour, and Taylor Pendrith shared the first-round lead at 8-under 64 on Thursday in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Oosthuizen-Schwartzel surge to Zurich Classic 3rd-round lead
Read full article: Oosthuizen-Schwartzel surge to Zurich Classic 3rd-round leadLouis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel birdied six of their final eight holes Saturday to shoot a 9-under 63 and take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Zurich Classic.
Augusta Nationals plays through debate over Ga voting law
Read full article: Augusta Nationals plays through debate over Ga voting lawWhile a tempest brews outside Magnolia Lane over Georgia’s voting rights law, Augusta National would prefer to keep the focus on blooming azaleas, pimento cheese sandwiches and tricky greens.
Prairie View A&M University golf program receives $40,000 boost from PGA Tour star
Read full article: Prairie View A&M University golf program receives $40,000 boost from PGA Tour starTo help alleviate some of that expense for diverse communities, rising PGA Tour star Cameron Champ donated $40,000 to the Prairie View A&M University golf program. Champ played college golf at Texas A&M and is one of the few black golfers on the PGA Tour. He was tasked with bringing the Prairie View A&M golf team back to prominence after a near 40-year conference championship drought. “I want to be the first myself.”COVID-19 holdJennings has a young team, and many of his golfers have yet to see college competition due to COVID-19 cancellations. Jennings said there’s a lot of work to do with his young team, while Latham believes the Panthers have the talent to place well in the SWAC.
Schauffele recovers from COVID-19, optimistic about new year
Read full article: Schauffele recovers from COVID-19, optimistic about new yearSchauffele is among 16 players in the Tournament of Champions who didn't win last year. His girlfriend came down with COVID-19 in the middle of December, and a few days later, Schauffele tested positive and eventually had minor symptoms. Schauffele is among 16 players at Kapalua who failed to win an official event, though he did have the lowest 72-hole score at the Tour Championship. The winners-only field is including players who reached the Tour Championship because golf was shut down for three months due to the pandemic. Schauffele already has played four times in the new season, which began in September, and that includes two majors.
Amid anguish of pandemic, sports offered memorable moments
Read full article: Amid anguish of pandemic, sports offered memorable momentsWith the kick, Fuller became the first female to play in a Southeastern Conference football game. Fuller, a senior, became the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game with a kickoff against Missouri on Nov. 28. Her gender-breaking accomplishment was a glimmer of inspiration amid the darkness of a pandemic. The Los Angeles Dodgers kept the trend going at the end of a pandemic-shortened baseball season, earning their first World Series title since 1988. “We never stopped," World Series MVP Corey Seager said.
DeChambeau blasts his way to 62 and early lead in Las Vegas
Read full article: DeChambeau blasts his way to 62 and early lead in Las VegasLAS VEGAS – Bryson DeChambeau put on another power display Thursday and it worked just as well as when he won the U.S. Open. “I was not happy it didn't go in, but I'll take a 62,” DeChambeau said. Didn't hit it my best, but I put it in the right spots a lot of the times today.”Among early starters, DeChambeau had a one-shot lead over Harold Varner III and Austin Cook. DeChambeau easily reached the 314-yard 15th hole, the start of a dynamic finishing stretch at the TPC Summerlin. It was the perfect recipe for Las Vegas, with the warm desert air and barely a breath of wind.
Sport-by-sport snapshot of racial injustice protests
Read full article: Sport-by-sport snapshot of racial injustice protestsNBA referees march in support of players seeking an end to racial injustice in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. Black men, Black women, Black kids. The two other playoff games for that day were also postponed, as were the three games set for Thursday. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Seven games were postponed Thursday, a day after three games were called off. The MLS had no games scheduled for Thursday.
Champ speaks out on racial injustice with shoes and words
Read full article: Champ speaks out on racial injustice with shoes and wordsThen, with powerful words about a desire to find a solution to racial injustice. Champ is one of four players of Black heritage on the PGA Tour, and one of only two -- the other is Tiger Woods -- who reached the second of three events in the FedEx Cup postseason. When people say all lives matter, yes, all lives matter, but so do Black lives, Champ said. He had a gallery Thursday at an event with no specators, including PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan for the last few holes of his opening nine holes. The PGA Tour supports them and any of our own members standing up for issues they believe in, the statement said.
Morikawa quickly goes from college grad to major champion
Read full article: Morikawa quickly goes from college grad to major championCollin Morikawa poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. Since then, he has played 28 tournaments around the world and already has three victories on the PGA Tour, one of them a major championship. That alone puts him among the elite, except that Morikawa didn't need to win the PGA Championship to feel that way. When I woke up today, I was like, This is meant to be. This is where I feel very comfortable, Morikawa said. Rare is Sunday at a major with so many possibilities at the beginning, at the turn and down the stretch.
Dustin Johnson emerges from a pack to lead PGA Championship
Read full article: Dustin Johnson emerges from a pack to lead PGA ChampionshipDustin Johnson hits from the fairway on the 18th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)SAN FRANCISCO Dustin Johnson lost his yardage book and still found his way through an enormous crowd of contenders Saturday, making eight birdies at Harding Park for a 5-under 65 and a one-shot lead in the PGA Championship. Even that might not have stopped Johnson from making his most birdies in any round of a major. Johnson didn't have smooth sailing, either, especially when he couldn't find his yardage book. Johnson shot 65 even with a double bogey on the ninth hole.
Li at his best and builds early lead at PGA Championship
Read full article: Li at his best and builds early lead at PGA ChampionshipLi Haotong of China, hits from the fairway on the 10th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in San Francisco. He also played a World Golf Championship last week with middling results, but he found his form in San Francisco. Brendon Todd, who shared the 18-hole lead with Day, settled for a 70 and joined them at 135. Li, who primarily plays the European Tour, went back to China in March when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down golf. If the lead holds, Li would be the first player from China to hold the lead after any round of a major.
Swinging hard lifts Champ into contention in PGA
Read full article: Swinging hard lifts Champ into contention in PGACameron Champ hits from the fairway on the 18th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)John Daly famously won a PGA Championship 29 years ago by swinging as hard as he could every time he got on the tee. Swinging hard comes naturally to Champ. Before Bryson DeChambeau bulked up and began crushing drives this year, the 25-year-old was the gold standard on the PGA Tour when it came to swing speed and distance. Two negative tests days after that prompted the PGA Tour to change its guidelines and he was playing in Detroit the next week.
Still testing positive, Frittelli among 3 back to work
Read full article: Still testing positive, Frittelli among 3 back to workAnd then they tested positive again. Felt like Walter Hagen, just walked straight on to the driving range.The tour last week updated its policy for asymptomatic positive tests, like Cameron Champ. What we have learned along the way is that in some instances, individuals can continue to test positive for weeks beyond when their illness started," he said. McCarthy tested positive on June 26 before the second round at the Travelers Championship, while Frittelli tested positive that weekend. Even so, Frittelli said he could sense a buzz around Muirfield Village from players on edge about someone testing positive still in the field.
Champ can play under tour's latest coronavirus policy change
Read full article: Champ can play under tour's latest coronavirus policy changeChamp is among six players and two caddies on the PGA Tour who have tested positive. Ricky Elliott, the caddie for Brooks Koepka, tested positive before the Travelers Championship last week in Connecticut, and then had a negative test. Previously, the tour relied on time-based protocols that required those who test positive to self-isolate for at least 10 days. Champ tested positive on June 23 and withdrew from the Travelers Championship. They would be eligible to play next week if they have two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
Watney bored in isolation, nervous about how he got virus
Read full article: Watney bored in isolation, nervous about how he got virus(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)Monday marked the 10th day of self-isolation for Nick Watney, the minimum required for PGA Tour players who test positive for the new coronavirus. Harris English tested positive Monday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. Watney laughed at the notion he might be responsible for PGA Tour players all getting a WHOOP strap, which can provide early indications of the virus. Since the positive test, Watney has been in his room. 123 in the FedEx Cup standings, and the positive test cost him at least a month of competition.
Todd matches Johnson's 61 to take the lead at Travelers
Read full article: Todd matches Johnson's 61 to take the lead at TravelersBoth golfers shot bogey-free rounds, with Todd making five birdies on the front nine and Johnson five on the back. Todd said the round became a game of whatever you can do, I can do just as well. Its hard to miss the leader boards obviously, so (Johnson's) name was up there from a pretty early point, Todd said. Mackenzie Hughes, who led after a 60 on Thursday, shot his second straight 68 for sole possession of fourth place. Nick Watney withdrew just before the second round of last weeks RBC Heritage Championship.
Positive COVID test leads to more withdrawals from Travelers
Read full article: Positive COVID test leads to more withdrawals from TravelersMcCarthy became the third PGA Tour player to test positive for the virus since its restart and the second this week, joining Cameron Champ who withdrew on Tuesday. Gordon, a 23-year-old Vanderbilt graduate playing his fourth PGA Tour event on a sponsor's exemption, is 12-under 128 after 36 holes. The Travelers field continued to shrink after Denny McCarthy tested positive for the coronavirus. McCarthy, who shot an opening-round 67, said he began began feeling sick Thursday night and tested positive for the virus on Friday morning. McDowell and Brooks Koepkas caddies both tested positive.
Mackenzie Hughes shoots 60 to take early lead at Travelers
Read full article: Mackenzie Hughes shoots 60 to take early lead at TravelersJim Furyk shot a 12-under 58 on the same par-70 TPC River Highlands course four years ago, the lowest score in a tour event. I kind of joked walking off there that 59 wasn't even the record because of Jim's 58, Hughes said. Phil Mickelson, paired with McIlroy in his first competitive round since turning 50, was one of five players to shoot 64. Patrick Cantlay also shot 60 at TPC River Highlands as an amateur in 2011. The Travelers is the third event on the tour calendar since golf resumed.
McDowell withdraws from Travelers as tour await test results
Read full article: McDowell withdraws from Travelers as tour await test resultsCameron Champ tested positive when he arrived Tuesday and took his mandatory test at TPC River HIghlands. McDowell told Golfweek that his caddie, Ken Comboy, tested positive. The alarm bells have started to ring now that Kenny has failed this test, McDowell told Golfweek. Nick Watney was the first player to test positive, on Friday at the RBC Heritage. He told Golfweek he tested negative at the Travelers Championship on Monday, and he would decide when he reached home whether he should quarantine from his family.